If change is the only thing..

Part 1

I was walking down the road where a big group of relatively small children were playing. I knew most of them. A boy, about 13 years old, ran towards me and held my hand. He was smiling infectiouosly. I returned the smile. I put my hand across my little friend signalling the start of a conversation. 

"Hi biLi", I said. 

I called him biLi as he was very very fair shinned. (biLi=white, in kannada) 

I pointed at a girl who was almost of his age and as fair as him and asked him to say 'hi' to her.

He blushed and said "She is a Setu*. What is the use of saying 'hi'."

"Anyway you won't marry her. So you want to conserve energy and direct it properly at others", I completed the sentance for him.

He simply nodded and continued, "First thing I see is beauty. After that I see whether she 'suites' me"

I was amazed at his maturity of thought! I tried to imagine what I was thinking like when I was of his age when he interrupted and asked

"What do you see?"

"in?"

"Girls? Your girl?"

My smile simply expanded into laughter. 

"What do you mean by 'she suites me'". Tell me that first and I'll answer your question.

He thought for a while and said, "That can't be explained.' 

And then he ran away to claim his chance at the badminton match which he had interrupted.

Part 2

There's nothing called good or bad, its all in the way you think. 

I am 24 now. I may go on for 50 more.

But I am sure of one thing, though. 

I am not what I was, and will not be what I am. 

But in spite of this, I say a lot of things. I say a lot of things.

I ask how people can watch kannada movies at all. 

I say how people can talk superficially at all.

I say how people can watch cricket at all. 

and I say how people cannot think of Philosophy at all. 

And in saying all this, I really feel what I am saying is right. 

But then, I know. 

I am not what I was and will not be what I am.

I continuously change. And my talk is no different. It changes.

I have a friend.

The friend watches Telugu movies. 

The friend's friend, that is me, listens to Ghazals. 

And now, each of these thinks how the other can do what he/she is doing. Each find the other's disposition inexplicable. 

Naturally, one thinks the other doesn't 'suite'.

Let me remind you that there is nothing called good or bad, its all in the way you think.

Now, take a minute or two and go through the first portion quickly. 

Ideally in this world, there is no 'like' and 'dislike'. Its all in the way you think. 

The way you think is in the way you live. 

The way you live is in the 'where you live and how you live'

It is in this context that the Bhagavadgita becomes relavant which says 'Man is merely but a result of his past actions.' The way he thinks is simply led by the life he has led. There is simply no universal good or universal bad.  

Watching Telugu movies or listening to Ghazals is neither good nor bad.

The habits change. 

The preferences change.

But the person remains the same. 

The same person is a new person on a new day.

Then, what defines a person? What do I, whc constantly change, see in a person who constantly changes.

Let me leave the question unanswered, partly bacause I do not know the answer.

But let me suffice it to say that the friend who watches Telugu movies also watches English ones which I give her. She also tries listening to folkmusic which I thrust into her ears. She patiently heeds a ear when I explain the meaning of Mankutimmana Kagga. She listens to my 'theories' though I doubt if she likes them.

To this extent she is receptive to change. 

If change is the only thing which doesn't change, why not accept it gracefully.

This is what the vedas have to say about change 

 'aano bhadra krtavoyantu vishwataha'

(Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides)

I will start watching Telugu movies from now!